A disaster film that doesn’t depend on absurdly over-the-top chaos to be successful. This is a true story, but not specifically, it snatches up bits in pieces of a million different testimonies, all during a massive Tsunami that hit Thailand a few years back. The instant that the wave hits is by far the most astonishing scene of the film. The shots of the characters flipping around underwater were sickening. If you’ve ever been engulfed by a large wave in the ocean, you may understand the sensation. Just multiply that by 10 & throw in loose shards of metal, and you arrive at the pain these individuals felt.

The family itself were played by some fine actors, but the overall depiction of these people was a bit too cookie-cutter for my taste. It would have been more effective to show some tension inside the family before the Tsunami, really upping their appreciation for each other once they all survived. Besides the initial landing of the wave, and one scene where the boy runs around the hospital re-uniting families. Ultimately I just wasn’t all that affected by The Impossible. Like they just expect us to eat out of the palm of their hand. The events following the wave are just enough to keep you interested. I guess I just don’t like being told how to feel, especially with the score, it should be under the surface, not beating you over the head. Impressive & well made, but not a movie that will likely stay with me.